the 'there's no such thing as a stupid question' bike maintenance thread

Macy0161

Planning on retiring the commuter which is an old carrera zelos, 7 speed. Given the issues others have had selling cheap beaters, it has crossed my mind to set it up permanently on the turbo. Turbo is 10 speed minimum direct drive - my research/ googling (including sheldon) suggests that the 7 speed crankset will work with a 10 speed chain/ cassette/ rear derailuer. Anything I'm missing before I go further with the plan and spend money (either new or second hand)?

Milk_Tray

schemingbohemia wrote: »

I may threaten the title of this thread.

Got a new tyre put on back wheel by bike shop and bike serviced a few weeks ago, rode it once or twice after with no problems. Went on holidays, went to ride bike to work and back wheel is seizing, I can start cycling but then back wheel seizes, when it first happened I thought it may have been due to the cold weather (!) but now that it's warmed up same issue is still there.

Is it likely the bike shop over-tightened(?) the back wheel, but how would the bike have been ok at first and seized up later? Will be bringing it back to the shop this weekend but would like to have some idea of what people think it might be and what I can do myself (clueless) to try and fix it beforehand.

When I turned it upside down the wheel won't spin freely, it will go through maybe one revolution at most.

It's a Felt X-City with hub gears and disc brakes just to complicate matters.

http://2011.feltracing.com/Italy/2011/Mountain/X-CITY/X-CITY-1.aspx

Maybe loosen the wheel or take it off and start again... tighten it back up (not as tight) and see if that helps

mirrormatrix

schemingbohemia wrote: »

I may threaten the title of this thread.

Got a new tyre put on back wheel by bike shop and bike serviced a few weeks ago, rode it once or twice after with no problems. Went on holidays, went to ride bike to work and back wheel is seizing, I can start cycling but then back wheel seizes, when it first happened I thought it may have been due to the cold weather (!) but now that it's warmed up same issue is still there.

Is it likely the bike shop over-tightened(?) the back wheel, but how would the bike have been ok at first and seized up later? Will be bringing it back to the shop this weekend but would like to have some idea of what people think it might be and what I can do myself (clueless) to try and fix it beforehand.

When I turned it upside down the wheel won't spin freely, it will go through maybe one revolution at most.

It's a Felt X-City with hub gears and disc brakes just to complicate matters.

http://2011.feltracing.com/Italy/2011/Mountain/X-CITY/X-CITY-1.aspx

How bad is it?

Will the wheel spin freely when you take it off? It's possible that the quick release is on too tight, but this would only cause a slight reduction in spin.

Are you sure it's the wheel and not the brakes rubbing? You mentioned that you were on holidays recently. Could the disc brake have been bent during transit?

Type 17

schemingbohemia wrote: »

...back wheel is seizing, I can start cycling but then back wheel seizes...

The cone and locknut on the drive side may have come loose/been loose before/after the tyre-change and, when the drive-side cones is loose, the wheel's rotation tightens it, rather than loosening it (as would happen on the non-drive side).

Don't ride it (the cone will wind into the hub, destroying it) - bring it back to the shop and get them to check it.

CrowdedHouse

Folks - just curious, my rear brake cable disappears into the top tube - is it bare wire inside usually or does the outer go through as well.

iwillhtfu

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Folks - just curious, my rear brake cable disappears into the top tube - is it bare wire inside usually or does the outer go through as well.

Unless it has stops either end of the top tube the whole lot goes through. There should be a tube in there to route it from A to B.

burger1979

Looking for some advice here please folks. My saddle is a little too high and i went to loosen it and its seized in the seatpost. I have been going at it with lubricant, WD40, PTFE lube and diesel and its solid. Rocked the frame to and fro in the work stand and nothing. I have taken a vice grips with some towel around onto the seatpost and still nothing. So I am looking for something else to try and one idea I thought of was getting shorter cranks. Currently on 175mm Shimano Ultegra FC 6800 series (52-36), was going to go down to 165mm. I was looking on line at some of the prices of the FC 6800 series and they are a lot more expensive than the newer FC R8000 series. CRC have the FC R8000 for €180 or so (FC Series €250).
From looking at the technical specs of both (FC 6800 - https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/ultegra-6800/FC-6800.html) (R8000 Series - https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/ultegra-r8000/FC-R8000.html), they are pretty much the same. I note that the bottom bracket type for the R8000 is different but the width is still the same for both 70mm.
Are they interchangeable? Any other issues with swapping out for the other that I should be thinking of?

iwillhtfu

burger1979 wrote: »

Looking for some advice here please folks. My saddle is a little too high and i went to loosen it and its seized in the seatpost. I have been going at it with lubricant, WD40, PTFE lube and diesel and its solid. Rocked the frame to and fro in the work stand and nothing. I have taken a vice grips with some towel around onto the seatpost and still nothing. So I am looking for something else to try and one idea I thought of was getting shorter cranks. Currently on 175mm Shimano Ultegra FC 6800 series (52-36), was going to go down to 165mm. I was looking on line at some of the prices of the FC 6800 series and they are a lot more expensive than the newer FC R8000 series. CRC have the FC R8000 for €180 or so (FC Series €250).
From looking at the technical specs of both (FC 6800 - https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/ultegra-6800/FC-6800.html) (R8000 Series - https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/ultegra-r8000/FC-R8000.html), they are pretty much the same. I note that the bottom bracket type for the R8000 is different but the width is still the same for both 70mm.
Are they interchangeable? Any other issues with swapping out for the other that I should be thinking of?

Surely getting shorter cranks is going to elongate the issue

Is it an alloy seatpost in and an alloy seat tube or carbon in carbon?

Persistance seems to be the key then if that doesn't work and it's alu seat post in alu frame sacrifice the seat post and throw the stilson on it with anything between. Lay the frame flat and crank on it.

burger1979

Its an aluminium seat post in a carbon frame. I had a bike mechanic look at it (he has had my bike plenty of times before and had a try on it), and he didnt have any luck. My thinking is that shorter cranks at the bottom end of the pedal stroke will shorten the stroke. I am having lower back issues on this bike (race) whilst not having any issues on my other (hack) bike. I have a lower saddle height on the hack bike and a shorter distance between the saddle and the bottom of the stroke and I'm looking to do the same on the race bike. Otherwise the race bike is a good fit (got a bike fit done on it, I messed with the saddle height a while back and over tightened the seat clamp, bringing on the seized post).
Its all a bit of a balls of a situation.

iwillhtfu

burger1979 wrote: »

Its an aluminium seat post in a carbon frame. I had a bike mechanic look at it (he has had my bike plenty of times before and had a try on it), and he didnt have any luck. My thinking is that shorter cranks at the bottom end of the pedal stroke will shorten the stroke. I am having lower back issues on this bike (race) whilst not having any issues on my other (hack) bike. I have a lower saddle height on the hack bike and a shorter distance between the saddle and the bottom of the stroke and I'm looking to do the same on the race bike. Otherwise the race bike is a good fit (got a bike fit done on it, I messed with the saddle height a while back and over tightened the seat clamp, bringing on the seized post).
Its all a bit of a balls of a situation.

Have you tried taking the saddle off and taping the seat post into the frame? it might seem a bit counter intuitive but it does work. I've never tried it on a carbon frame mind.

saccades

Keep spraying the seat post/frame with plusgas or wd40, fit a saddle you hate and put the saddle in a vice.

Use the frame to leverage the saddle and keep twisting gently.

Expect 2-3 days to be gentle on the frame, give it a go every 6-12 hours.

If that doesn't work use caustic to dissolve the seat post but leave the frame untouched.

magicbastarder

i was just googling the topic, and from what i can read, carbon fibre can have negative to zero coefficient of thermal expansion - so the warmer it is, the more the frame will grab onto the seatpost. not sure if you could get access to a freezer to test that hypothesis...

iwillhtfu

magicbastarder wrote: »

i was just googling the topic, and from what i can read, carbon fibre can have negative to zero coefficient of thermal expansion - so the warmer it is, the more the frame will grab onto the seatpost. not sure if you could get access to a freezer to test that hypothesis...

Perhaps empty a Co2 cartridge onto it.

bilbot79

I took off back back wheel (disc brakes) and when I put it back in. The wheel would hardly spin, as if the brake were acting on it. Only works properly now when I adjust the brake too much. Help!

magicbastarder

maybe the disc - or the brake mechanism - is offset too much. try loosening the bolts on the brake assembly at the back wheel - the ones which hold it to the frame - pull the brakes hard and tighten it up again?

burger1979

Thanks for the replies folks. I will give the ideas a go over the next while and report back to you.

magicbastarder

what i was referring to is the first one listed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ_oIAPuQR8

Hungrycol

Replaced chain yesterday in between rain showers, cleaned drivetrain and thought I was happy to go, didn't "test" ride it (it was raining!).

This morning travelling 200 meters on the way to work and the chain start skipping badly. Stiff link or cassette worn. Dam thought I might get away without changing the cassette but not so. Had to keep the chain around the top (less worn) cogs of the cassette (1st to about 5th and 11th to 15th) until cassette now ordered this morning arrives.

com1

bilbot79 wrote: »

I took off back back wheel (disc brakes) and when I put it back in. The wheel would hardly spin, as if the brake were acting on it. Only works properly now when I adjust the brake too much. Help!

Similar happened to me before - it turned out that the wheel was not seated properly. It was only out by a couple of mm so I didn't notice it by eye but when I loosened the QR and jiggled the wheel it clunked into place and everything worked fine again. I reckoned at the time that it was a bit of grit on the axel stopping it from seating fully on one side.

errlloyd

All my questions are stupid. I've pulled a road bike out of the garage that hasn't been used in 3 or 4 years and is dusty as ****.

Aside from air in the tyres, what do I need to do or check to make it road worthy? Wd40 everthing for cleaning and then put new lubricant on the chain I presume? Anywhere I can buy bike lube in the city centre.

ED E

errlloyd wrote: »

All my questions are stupid. I've pulled a road bike out of the garage that hasn't been used in 3 or 4 years and is dusty as ****.

Aside from air in the tyres, what do I need to do or check to make it road worthy? Wd40 everthing for cleaning and then put new lubricant on the chain I presume? Anywhere I can buy bike lube in the city centre.

My approach would be:

• Wheels off, chain off, casette off
• Frame/rims wash down with warm soap/degreaser
• Drop of petrol to clean the cassette and soak chain in said for 15
• Rinse the lot
• Oil (or wax) chain up and wipe
• Check shifting is ok
• Check and double check brakes
• visual of tyres while on the stand to ensure A) no bulges and b) no bad cuts
• Leave for 48hrs and ensure pressure is holding
• Picture on social media of choice with a big pat on own back

errlloyd

You did an amazing job of making that process sound fun or at least tremendously fulfilling.

magicbastarder

i don't see a need to completely strip the chain like that. you might do it if the bike had been used during that period, picking crud up from the road, but this is the opposite.
i took a bike that had been left in the attic for several years and all the chain needed was a bit of oil.

CramCycle

errlloyd wrote: »

All my questions are stupid. I've pulled a road bike out of the garage that hasn't been used in 3 or 4 years and is dusty as ****.

Aside from air in the tyres, what do I need to do or check to make it road worthy? Wd40 everthing for cleaning and then put new lubricant on the chain I presume? Anywhere I can buy bike lube in the city centre.

Pretty much everything you need to do you have said. Check the brakes, and pedal onwards.

CrowdedHouse

Folks - Am I correct in thinking that the front brake outer is way too long?

(PS Not my guntering, came from the factory like that)

CramCycle

Looks like they were cut for the brakes running left/front and then put on right front. I don't think it is a major issue, certainly shouldn't cause an issue.

Am I right in thinking if a bike has a 11/34 cassette I'd have to change the rear derailleur if I was swapping to 11/28 or even 11/30

Type 17

No, you can run a long-cage derailleur with any size cassette (once you aren't exceeding its range with a gigantic cassette).

If you do fit a smaller cassette, re-check the B-screw on the rear derailleur, to lift the top jockey wheel closer to the new cassette's profile.

Icyseanfitz

Question lads, starting to put my new build together and have run into this small issue. I've the correct diameter seat clamp (going to change to a non quick release for carbon though) got for my frame but the height seems way off. The seat clamp area on the frame measures at 20mm while the clamp itself is 17mm. Am I supposed to cut the area down on the frame or get a taller seat clamp?

Picture

07Lapierre

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

Question lads, starting to put my new build together and have run into this small issue. I've the correct diameter seat clamp (going to change to a non quick release for carbon though) got for my frame but the height seems way off. The seat clamp area on the frame measures at 20mm while the clamp itself is 17mm. Am I supposed to cut the area down on the frame or get a taller seat clamp?

Picture

A taller seat clamp...Do not cut the frame!

Or just slide the clamp down as far as it goes and then use a seat post ring to hide the top 3mm?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/fizik-seatpost-ring/rp-prod113649?gs=1&sku=sku407485IE&pgrid=53513330318&ptaid=pla-296303633664&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=PLA+All+Products&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mkwid|sdGZNbJ2N_dc|pcrid|253511013572|pkw||pmt||prd|407485IE